In practice, wind powered boats rarely sail directly down wind. Most often, sailboats travel in directions oblique to the direction of the wind. The limitations of waterway boundaries and other obstacles often require sailboats to travel in a zig-zag pattern centered on the direction of desired travel. Each change of direction in this maneuver which causes the sailboat to present its opposite side to the wind, with the wind crossing over the rear or stem end of the sailboat, is known as a "gybe." (When the wind comes over the front or bow of the sailboat, the maneuver is called a "tack.")
In order to gybe, a set of procedures must be executed by the crew which range from simple to complex depending on which sails the sailboat has set. In general, in order to gybe the direction of the boat must be changed relative to the direction of the wind so that the wind comes over the opposite side of the sailboat. In addition, the sails must be reconFigured so that they billow out towards the opposite side of the sailboat. When engaged in competitive sailing, this operation must be carried out with speed and efficiency. Further, when sailing singlehandedly, it is preferable for all operations to be executable from the cockpit so that control of the sailboat may be maintained.
Sailboats may be fitted with a variety of different sails depending on the wind conditions and the direction of sail. Sails are chosen for a particular set of conditions and then any sail may be adjusted in terms of its shape and set to maximize the force derived from the wind. When sailing downwind, a spinnaker is often used. FIG. 1 is an illustration of the prior art. A spinnaker is a large triangular sail, the uppermost corner of which or "head" 101 is attached to the top of the mast by a halyard 109. The lower corner of the spinnaker 102 which lies downwind is attached to a control line, called a spinnaker sheet 104, the free end of which is led to the cockpit, by means of which the shape and tension (set of the sail may be controlled. The lower corner of the spinnaker which lies upwind 103 is attached to another spinnaker sheet 105 which is led to the outboard end 106 of the spinnaker pole 110, and thence to the cockpit. The inboard end 107 of the spinnaker pole is attached to the mast 22. The spinnaker pole is supported by a control line 111, called a topping lift. The topping lift 111, together with the downhaul 112 control height of the outboard end of the spinnaker pole 106. The spinnaker pole holds the upwind portion of the spinnaker into the wind and the position of the spinnaker pole in relation to the rest of the sailboat is a factor in determining the shape and set of the spinnaker, and thus the efficiency of the spinnaker's operation.
When a gybe is executed while using the spinnaker, the spinnaker presents its opposite side to the wind. For the sail to operate properly, the spinnaker pole must now hold the opposite corner of the spinnaker into the wind. When a spinnaker is gybed in the conventional manner, one of two procedures is followed:
1. End for End Gybe.
On an end for end gybe, the spinnaker sheet 105 holding the upwind corner of the spinnaker to the pole is released from the outboard end 106 of the spinnaker pole. Then the pole 110 is disconnected from the mast and the inboard end 107 of the spinnaker pole is swung outboard. While it is being swung outboard, the other spinnaker sheet 104, which is attached to the opposite corner of the spinnaker 102, is attached to the end of the pole going outboard 107. Finally, the new inboard end 106, is reattached to the mast 22. This type of gybe does not require the vertical height of the pole to be adjusted during the evolution of the maneuver.
2. Dip Pole Gybe.
On a dip pole gybe, the sheet 105 holding the upwind corner of the spinnaker 103 is released from the outboard end 106 of the spinnaker pole. The pole is then swung through the foretriangle to the other side of the boat, as shown in FIG. 2, according to prior art. The foretriangle is the triangular area of the sailboat formed by the mast 22, the forestay 120 and the foredeck. Because the spinnaker pole would hit the forestay 120 if it were merely swung through the foretriangle while held in a horizontal position by the topping lift 111, the vertical position of the spinnaker pole must be reduced by easing out the topping lift 111 to allow the outboard end of the pole 106 to dip down to near deck level so it can fit inside the forestay. (On some sailboat configurations, the geometry of the foretriangle is such that the inboard end 107 of the spinnaker pole must be raised as well by sliding the attachment ring 108 up the mast along its track 23 to allow sufficient angle to swing the spinnaker pole through the foretriangle. The attachment ring 108 must then be slid down the track 23 to its original location.) After the pole is swung through to the opposite side, the sheet 104 attached to the opposite corner 102 of the spinnaker is attached to the outboard end of the pole 106. This type of gybe does not require the pole to be detached from the mast.
Both methods of gybing require one or more crewmembers to be on the foredeck to handle the pole. In addition, the dip pole gybe requires another crewmember to adjust the topping lift while the pole is being swung through the foretriangle to the other side of the vessel. The complexity of this maneuver provides many opportunities for mistakes which can cost speed in racing situations, and in rough seas, operations performed on a pitching foredeck can be quite dangerous. Disconnecting and reconnecting the pole to the mast is cumbersome and time consuming. Many injuries to crew members occur during this operation as the pressure to conserve time in racing situations lead to accidents. Further, the need to manually handle the spinnaker pole prevents a lone sailor from performing this maneuver in most cases. For a lone sailor to perform a spinnaker gybe, he must leave the cockpit and climb up to the foredeck, leaving no one to steer the boat through the gybing maneuver.